


The Trial of Delphini Riddle

by SunshineScorpius



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Cursed Child compliant, M/M, Pre-Slash, Scorpius Malfoy - Freeform, albus potter - Freeform, delphi is going down, delphi is put on trial, honestly these boys are so oblivious to their love, my poor boys have anxiety - you know, naturally, squint for scorbus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 00:45:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17950367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineScorpius/pseuds/SunshineScorpius
Summary: The time travelling is over, Delphi has been caught and Scorpius and Albus thought they were free. But, anxiety arises when they are called to testify against her in the trial of the century, how will they cope seeing their tormentor again?





	The Trial of Delphini Riddle

The distressed sounds of muffled sobs emitted from the bed next to him, pulling Scorpius out from his lazy slumber in a haze. Scorpius sighed to himself, knowing exactly the kind of dreams that were haunting his best friend. Scorpius pulled the sheets of himself and climbed out of bed, silently making his way over to Albus’, wand alight in his hand.

“Albus?” He whispered, careful not to wake the other boys in their dorm. The muffled sobs continued, and Scorpius wasn’t sure if Albus was awake or asleep. Knowing he wouldn’t mind – they had done this a hundred times before, after all – Scorpius pulled back the green curtains to reveal Albus, tossing and turning frantically. He was asleep.

“Albus,” Scorpius whispered slightly louder this time, but the boy never woke from his nightmare. Sighing again, Scorpius climbed into bed next to Albus, pulling the curtains back and casting a silencing charm. Due to both of their frequent nightmares, both boys often use silencing charms, but kept it so the other can always hear them if they need each other. It was comforting.

Scorpius distinguished his wand and put it aside, wrapping his arms around Albus and quietly hushing him, whispering that he’s okay over and over. He had found this would slowly lull Albus out of his nightmare, as most of them were about Scorpius and how Delphini Diggory (Riddle?) had tortured him with the Cruciatus Curse. Feeling Scorpius there and alive and, well, not being tortured, brought him slowly out of his sleep in a gentle way, rather than abruptly shaking him.

“Scorpius?” Albus whispered, his voice hoarse. The sobs had quietened, but Albus’ body still shook violently. Scorpius pulled the sheets over them, wrapping them around Albus despite the fact he was sweating.

“I’m here,” Scorpius replied in a hushed voice despite the charm. Albus breathed a sigh of relief, twisting his body around so his head was buried into Scorpius’ chest, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close. “It’s okay, I’m here,” he whispered again, stroking a hand through Albus’ slightly damp hair.

When Albus’ heartbeat had finally settled, and his breathing returned to normal, he pulled away from Scorpius slowly. He looked at him for a brief moment, his face saying everything his words couldn’t: _thank you, for always being here._

“Is this about tomorrow?” Scorpius asked, the question playing on his mind. The events of the next day had been haunting the two of them for exactly two weeks, when they found out they’d have to testify at Delphini Riddles trial. Hermione Granger-Weasley, Minister for Magic and Albus’ aunt, had tried her best to keep the boys out of the situation, but apparently even that was out of her hands. If the boys didn’t testify, the odds are Delphi would walk free. They had, reluctantly, agreed to go through with it, mostly so Delphi couldn’t hurt either one them again.

“I don’t think I can see her again,” Albus admitted, voice raw with honesty.

Scorpius had thought exactly the same thing. The very idea of coming face-to-face with her terrified him, her silver-and-blue hair was something he’d been too used to seeing in his nightmares. Her icy grey eyes were so like his own that he had trouble looking in the mirror most days; Albus has had to do his hair for him on more than one occasion, when looking in the mirror had triggered a panic attack.

Then there was her voice, her cackle. He was sure hearing it again would send him right back to the Quidditch pitch, his muscle memory repeating the pain of the Cruciatus curse as it coursed through his bones. The only sound louder than his screams was her cackle. Like she enjoyed harming him. Maybe she did.

“Scor?” Albus’ soft voice bought Scorpius out of his spiralling thoughts. He hadn’t noticed he’d begun shivering, too. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he lied. “Are you?”

“Yeah,” Albus lied back.

They both knew the other was lying, but they also knew exactly why neither of them was okay. There was no use talking about it, it would be the same answer as always. The reasons differed for each boy. For Albus it would be: _I can’t believe I ever trusted her; she tortured you and I couldn’t stop her; I can’t get your screams out my head; the way you clung to me when you came back from Voldemort’s world; I hated seeing you that broken; I can’t get my fathers screams out my head as he cried for his parents; we saw Voldemort; we saw Voldemort kill my grandparents; we heard my grandparents scream for their lives; how are we ever meant to forget that?_

For Scorpius, it was: _the pain from the curse sometimes still twitches through my body; I can’t get her laugh out my head as she tortured me; you were gone, Albus; I can’t live in a world without you, please never leave me again; my father was still a death-eater; I was a death-eater; I was evil and horrible and what if a part of the Scorpion King is in me; what if I become him; I hated seeing you so upset; I hate that we trusted her; I still hear your grandparents screams in my sleep; I miss you every second you’re not around; I get scared I’ll wake up and you won’t be here._

“Can you stay tonight?” Albus asked, but Scorpius had already planned on not moving. He nodded softly, relaxing into Albus as he lay his head back against the pillow. They were silent for a long time; no words being needed for comfort. They just needed to hold each other. To make sure the other was okay.

Maybe it was weird for two boys, who were best friends, to need each other in this way. But neither of them found it weird. Their adventure had brought them closer than ever – and they were pretty close before. But now, they both knew neither could live without the other and that neither of them wanted to. They had only ever had each other, and both had caught a glimpse of life without one another. It was a life neither boys could ever live again. It was a life of darkness and shadows, haunted whispers and strangled screams. Life with each other was much brighter and upon their return, they had vowed to never leave each other again.

Maybe that made them co-dependent.

Neither of them cared.

“What do you think is going to happen tomorrow?” Albus asked softly, but the sudden speech had scared Scorpius out his thoughts. Albus apologised, feeling Scorpius jump from under him.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think we’ll actually see her?” The fear in Albus’ tone was evident, breaking Scorpius’ heart.

“I hope not, but probably. You’ll be okay, right? Seeing her?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m just hoping we can make it through the trial without breaking down into panic attacks. How pathetic would that be?” He tried to play off his worry as a joke, but Scorpius saw right through it.

“I have something that might help, hold on,” Scorpius shifted from under Albus’ body weight, the other boy falling to the mattress with a groan and Scorpius let out a little chuckle. He grabbed his wand and lit it up, walking over to his bed and pulling a box out from under it. He went back to Albus’ bed, sitting crossed legged at the end of it, the box in hand. He kept his wand alight, watching as Albus adorably squinted before adjusting to the blaring light. Albus sat up, mirroring Scorpius’ position, their knees unnecessarily touching.

“I was going to give it to you tomorrow, but maybe now seems like the better time. You know I’ve been spending some extra time with Professor Flitwick?”

“Yeah, he’s been tutoring you some more, not that you need it I mean you’re a fantas-”

“Albus? Trying to do something here,” Scorpius interrupted, a faint smile on his lips as Albus blushed, muttering an apology and gesturing for him to continue.

“He hasn’t been tutoring me. That’s just what I told you, so you wouldn’t know I was up to something. He has been helping me though, and I have learned a lot so techni-”

“Scor, cut to the chase,” it was Albus’ turn to interrupt, feigning boredom despite the smile on his lips. He loved it, really, when Scorpius went off on little tangents. Though now he was growing impatient.

“Okay,” Scorpius opened the box, revealing two necklaces cushioned by soft blue cotton. The first necklace was a simple black chain with a small emerald green stone attached, which glinted softly in the glow of the wand-light. The second was similar in shape and size, except the stone attached to it was icy grey, soft and sacred. Albus couldn’t help but think about how it scarily resembled Scorpius’ eyes.

“Scor, what are these?”

“I brought them on our last Hogsmeade trip whilst you were with your dad in The Three Broomsticks. They were on this little market stand and something reached out to me. I was talking to the man who ran the stand, some Italian bloke with the thickest accent I’d ever heard. He was telling me about how they originated from his country. They were carved with the blood, sweat and tears of Goblins. These two were picked out from the same gemstone, but they were dyed separate colours during the making process.

“Both amulets are laced with Draught of Peace, destined to bring the wearer moments of peace in heightened states of anxiety. I don’t know if it works, I’ve never believed in all that personally. My mother did though, her engagement ring was laced with Felix Felicis and she believed that was the only reason my dad had the courage to propose,” Scorpius chuckled slightly at the memory. Albus smiled widely at him, eyes alight with wonder.

“Anyway, I’ve been with Professor Flitwick because I wanted him to help me charm them. They have been tested, but I want to make sure they work. I’ve kind of claimed the green one, because it’s the same colour as your eyes,” Scorpius coughed, realising his words and trying to cover it up. “I thought you’d want the grey one, too.”

Albus, unable to wipe the smile from his face, nodded. He seemed at a loss for words, his eyes flicking from Scorpius to the amulet and back over and over. When Scorpius pulled out the green amulet and tied it around his neck, Albus did the same with the grey one.

“Okay, now touch the gemstone,” he ordered, touching his own. Albus obliged, reaching up to grasp the stone in his touch.

Almost like magic – well, it was magic – Albus could hear the beating of his heart loudly in his ears. The necklace pulsated alongside it, vibrating softly with the beating. He closed his eyes and let the feeling overwhelm him, calm blanketing over his previously anxious body.

“What do you feel?” Scorpius asked, shooting a hopeful look at Albus.

“My heartbeat, but it’s sort of everywhere. And it’s calm,” Scorpius laughed.

“Your heartbeat is anything but calm right now,” he said through chuckles and Albus opened his eyes to look at him.

“What do you mean? I can feel it.”

“No, it’s not your heartbeat you’re feeling. It’s mine,” the way Scorpius was looking at him told Albus that his next words had to be right. Saying the wrong thing right now might just break him, and Scorpius was already broken enough.

“How?” He asked, trying his best to force the wonderment he was feeling into his voice. Asking him how was the safest bet, knowing he was probably dying to tell him. And he was.

“The necklaces are charmed together, so they work in conjunction. I created a charm that would have one necklace pick up on the beating heart of the wearer and send it to the other which would then project that heartbeat on the other wearer and vice versa. Whoever is wearing the necklaces will be connected, too, by their heartbeats.”

“You created this charm? Merlin, Scor, I always knew you were brilliant but bloody hell,” Albus couldn’t hide his amazement and pride. Scorpius really was the brightest wizard of his age. His face broke out into a huge grin, which made Albus’ heart skip a beat. He panicked for a moment, remembering Scorpius could feel everything his heart was doing, and he willed at it to calm down.

“That’s what Professor Flitwick was helping me with. The idea was that if one of us is having a panic attack – particularly on the stand at the trial – then we could just hold the necklace and feel the others heartbeat and try and match our own. We don’t both have to be touching it. So, even if we’re at home and it happens, we can just hold it. I know that my nightmares mostly surround you and a time when you never existed, so this was for me to be able to feel your heartbeat and know you’re still there. I was hoping it would have a similar affect for you.”

“That’s brilliant. How did you-” Albus was at a true loss for words. Scorpius had really outdone himself this time.

“Do you like it?” He asked, clearly noticing Albus’ confoundment.

“Yes,” he near-screamed, jumping from his seat and wrapping his arms around Scorpius in a tight hug. “I love it, you’re amazing, I- thank you,” Scorpius let himself relax into Albus’ arms, breathing in the others’ scent. Albus slowly pulled away, putting the box aside and pulling Scorpius into a lying down position. Albus wrapped his arms around him again, laying his head on Scorpius’ chest, muttering about how much he loved the amulet. Scorpius listened fondly as he sleepily mumbled, eventually falling into a deep sleep. Scorpius waited to make sure Albus was out for good with a hopeful dreamless sleep. He let himself close his eyes, his one hand resting lightly on the emerald stone at his neck, Albus’ heartbeat filling his senses as the darkness encased him.

 

* * *

 

 

“How can you even look into my eyes when they are so much like hers?”

Albus’ heart broke into a thousand tiny pieces and scattered to the wind. There was no repairing it following that comment. The way Scorpius looked, vulnerable and small and insecure, his eyes searching for validation but somehow believing he’d never find it. To make a point, Albus finished adjusting the collar on Scorpius’ dress robes and looked up to him, staring him square in the eye.

“Scor, they are nothing like hers and I’ll tell you why. They may be the same colour, but the resemblance stops there. Your eyes are kind and soft and goddammit I swear when you were born your mother travelled to the greatest corners of the galaxy and individually picked the stars from your constellation and put them in your eyes, knowing how much they would burn her hands. They sparkle. They’re full of light even when you aren’t so full of light. Its what makes you so amazing. But hers? Hers were cold, icy, stoic. There was nothing there. No personality, no wonder, no nothing. And certainly, no stars. I can look into your eyes because I don’t see hers. I know you do, and that fucking sucks. But just remember that to me, you’re perfect.”

Scorpius was staring back at him so hard that Albus felt that if they ever stopped staring, the world would crumble to dust around them. Maybe it would. And if Scorpius’ eyes were the last thing he’d ever see, then he’d let the world burn.

“You mean that?” He asked, voice vulnerable and quiet.

“More than anything,” Albus assured, patting him on the shoulder and smiling at him. Scorpius returned the smile, and maybe it was forced, but Albus would allow for the victory.

“We should go,” Scorpius said and Albus nodded. He placed his hand over his necklace, feeling Scorpius’ heartbeat pulse through his bones, just to check it was there. He saw Scorpius mirror his actions. They looked at each other one last time before Albus led the way out the Slytherin common room, both of them dressed in their best robes, totally unprepared for the day ahead.

The walk through the halls and up to Headmistress McGonagall’s office seemed longer than ever – and they’d done this walk plenty of times in the past year. Scorpius was uncharacteristically quiet, though Albus couldn’t blame him. But, it was Scorpius who usually carried their conversations and now it just seemed eerily quiet. At some point, Scorpius’ hand found his way into Albus’, squeezing it tight, almost as if he was checking he was still there. He was. Albus wasn’t going anywhere.

McGonagall welcomed them into their office when they arrived, greeting them with small talk and reassuring them they’d be okay before handing them the floo powder. Together, hand-in-hand, they flooed to Albus’ fathers’ office in the Ministry, where Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Draco Malfoy were waiting for them to arrive.

Upon arrival, Scorpius ran from Albus’ grip and into the arms of his father. Ever since Scorpius had gone missing, his father had been more open with Scorpius and was trying to be better, which Scorpius was forever thankful for. Harry had been trying, too, with Albus and Albus had been trying just as hard back to be a good son. Their relationship was still rocky, but right now he was thankful to be in the arms of his mother and father. They felt like home and Albus needed that kind of comfort right now.

“Again, I’m really sorry you have to do this, boys,” Hermione apologised in a greeting. Ron rubbed her arm comfortingly, assuring her that it wasn’t her fault.

“It’s not your fault,” Scorpius said, leaning into his dad, voice small and timid. Albus noticed him fumbling with the necklace and smiled slightly. Scorpius smiled back. Albus embraced his aunt in a hug, followed by his uncle. He knew they were here because of their closeness to the case, but the support felt nice anyway.

“I guess we should head down then, if you boys are ready?” Harry asked and Albus and Scorpius nodded slowly, sharing a brief glance. Together, the small group made their way through the Ministry Halls to the court hearings room. The walk down was mostly in silence, no one knowing exactly what to say. Harry, Hermione and Ron led the way, leaving Ginny, Draco, Scorpius and Albus behind. Scorpius walked close to his father, but his other hand clung firmly onto Albus’ robes, holding him close. Ginny walked the other side of Albus, her arm around his shoulders. Albus was thankful for having his best friend at his side, he didn’t think he’d get through this otherwise.

Upon entering the court room, Albus heard Scorpius suck in a breath. It was already half full of members from the Ministry, some Albus recognised from various news articles or from his visits to the Ministry when he was a kid. Many eyes settled on them as they entered, boring into them like they were the ones of trial. It must be strange, though. The news of his and Scorpius’ friendship made front page of the _Prophet_ when they first started Hogwarts because they were a Malfoy and a Potter. Two sides of completely different coins. The son of The Boy Who Lived and the son of an Ex-Death Eater.

Albus and Scorpius contrasted in nearly every way possible. Where Scorpius descended from a line of dark wizards, Albus descended from honourable Gryffindors who, even though were always up to mischief, were always on right side of the war. The thing no one understood was that Albus and Scorpius couldn’t have been more different from their descendants. Sure, where they looked exactly like their respective fathers, their personalities were wildly disparate. Scorpius was a burst of fresh air, a light in a dark room, his smile was contagious, his laugh was joyful, his eyes full of wonder and knowledge. Albus was the exact opposite, dark hair to match his dark humour, brooding and grumpy, never really smiled much and was constantly scowling. That was until he met Scorpius and smiling came a little easier. All Albus needed was someone who understood him, and Scorpius did, in every way possible. That was why they were so good together.

What was it that Delphi told Scorpius one day? _You belong together_.

Yeah, maybe they did.

Scorpius pulling on Albus’ arm snapped him from his trance, suddenly becoming very aware of eyes on him. He was used to being stared at, he’d been stared at his whole life. His whole life he’d been the talk of the _Prophet_ and that followed him to school.

People were always too damn curious as to what the son of The Boy Who Lived was eating for breakfast. The attention was insufferable. He hated it. His siblings loved it, basked in the attention. They would shine bright when a camera was forced in their faces, but Albus would rather the ground swallow him whole. That reputation followed by his Slytherin sorting instantly made him an outcast. Honestly, Albus couldn’t have cared less.

They sat down, Hermione abandoning them for her seat in the Minister’s box. It only settled Albus’ nerves slightly knowing Hermione was running the trial. His mother and father sat to the left of him, Scorpius sat the other side and his father was next to Scorpius. Albus and Scorpius – whether they were aware of it or not – sat so close their thighs and shoulders were touching. Scorpius grabbed hold of Albus’ hand, sending him a small smile as if asking if it was okay. It was okay. Albus was thankful for the reassurance that his best friend was next him. They were going through the same thing after all.

It seemed ages before Hermione announced that the trial was about to begin, telling everyone to settle in their seats. It was nearly a full crowd now, all desperate to hear the story of Delphi Riddle. Rita Skeeter was sat in the reporters’ section, a Quick-Notes Quill at the ready. Albus heard his mum scoff next to him, muttering something about hexing her should she say anything bad about the boys in her article.

“Thank you all for coming,” Hermione started when the murmurs of the crowd began to settle. “Today, we are witnessing the trial of Delphini Riddle, if you would please bring in the defendant?” Upon her command, a rattling noise began clinking in the centre of the room. A small round cell in the centre of the room slowly began to reveal the small, timid figure of Delphi Riddle. Sounds of muffled chatter erupted the room, members from the audience shook with her appearance. Albus grabbed the necklace around his neck with one hand, hoping Scorpius’ heartbeat would help calm his own – except Scorpius’ was beating just as fast as his. Albus squeezed his hand in reassurance and Scorpius squeezed back.

 _We’ll get through this,_ Albus thought. He repeated that over and over as the full length of Delphi appeared, and he sucked in a breath.

She looked incredibly different from how he remembered. It had only been a month or so since her capture, but Azkaban had already drained her aura. She seemed somehow… vulnerable. She was smaller than he remembered and skinnier, or maybe it was just the way she was standing with her arms wrapped around her small frame, chains dangling from her wrists. Those chains stopped her magic, the Ministry weren’t stupid: they knew how powerful she was. It wasn’t just her posture that was different though, her eyes were almost _sad?_ Could she even feel that kind of emotion? Albus didn’t think sociopaths were capable of it. There were black bags around her eyes and she was significantly paler than before; though there was no sun in Azkaban. Her hair was wild, half pulled into a ponytail and half sticking up everywhere.

She looked defeated.

Albus would have felt bad for her, but she tortured his best friend and tried to kill his father and that was not okay.

“Delphini Riddle, you are hereby charged with murder on account of the Killing Curse, the use of the Cruciatus Curse, the illegal use of a time turner and treason against the Ministry for attempting to bring Voldemort back from the dead, do you object to these charges?” Hermione asked, and Delphi smiled. It was only small and many probably wouldn’t have been able to see it. But Albus did. It was wicked, her eyes narrowed. It sent a shiver down his spine and a feeling of dread crept over him.

“No,” she said, her voice still held the same fierceness in it as it had when he’d first met her. She looked around the room, her eyes wild and frantic before finally settling on Albus. He took in a sharp breath as silver-grey eyes bore into his own and she smiled. There was nothing friendly in her look, it was one of wickedness and evil. Albus’ jaw began to shake, he was worried he would burst into tears right there and then. That would make a great front page.

Albus could feel Scorpius’ eyes on him, but Albus couldn’t look away from her. It was like she had some kind of spell on him. She was like a song that would draw you to the shore before drowning you in a crash of waves. He had been foolish to trust her before – he’d known that. But, there was something about her. An aura she radiated. She was a siren, and Albus was her victim.

“Albus?” Scorpius whispered next to him and Albus was detached from her stare. He turned to see Scorpius staring at him, his eyes bright and worried. Albus could breathe again. His eyes were a breath of fresh air compared to hers. Where hers filled him with dread, his relieved all of that and filled him with warmth. “You okay?” Albus nodded at him, sending a small smile his way to which he returned. They both knew neither of them meant it, but it meant the world.

“So, let’s get started, first we’ll start with Harry Potter as a witness of the events and lead Auror on the case. Mr. Potter, please make your way to the stand,” Hermione gestured to the seat that was next to the cell that Delphi was in. It was too close for comfort for Albus, and he weren’t entirely sure how he’d manage it once he was up there.

Harry sent them a small smile, squeezing Ginny’s hand and patting Albus on the shoulder before standing up and making his way to the witness stand.

The court case was kicked into full gear and honestly Albus drowned most of it out. Harry told the courts of the events of All Hallows Eve and what led to that fateful night. His voice never quivered once and Albus knew it was due to all that Auror training. That night had an horrific effect on his father, but Harry would never tell Albus that. He spoke of the events as though he hadn’t been there, his voice robotic and monotone as he stated facts and left his emotions from it. Albus almost envied his ability to switch off. He presented evidence against her that his department has been collecting over the past month and all that they found whilst Albus and Scorpius were stuck in time.

As each of the adults took the stand, they all recounted the events as they remembered. They kept the fact that it was Draco’s time turner that allowed the adults to go back in time as a secret, something only their small group would be aware of. They knew people would get angry and call for a trial, and let’s not forget the small rumour on Scorpius’ heritage. Despite the fact of Delphi being revealed as Voldemort’s real child, the rumour hadn’t properly dissipated. People around school still teased Scorpius about it and the _Prophet_ still wrote about it. But, Harry was issuing a statement following the trial sharing the truth in hopes to eradicate the rumour.

Ron got particularly defensive on the stand, being the hot-headed Gryffindor that he was. Draco was as stoic as ever, but even he teared up slightly when recalling the memory of his missing son. Albus’ mothers’ statement had been quite short, the events already recalled three times before and she had little to add. Delphi – surprisingly – stayed quiet throughout most of it. Occasionally she’d let out a small scoff or giggle, sending looks in Albus’ and Scorpius’ direction. How often she looked at them made Albus uncomfortable, it was almost like she was expecting them to defend her.

“Thank you, Ginny,” Hermione said when Ginny had finished talking, “you may return to your seat,” Ginny nodded and rose from her seat, sending Delphi a glare and exiting the witness box. She settled back down next to Harry, sending a smile to Albus. “Next, we’ll have Scorpius Malfoy,” he’d known it was coming eventually, but Albus filled with dread.

Next to him, Scorpius froze. His whole body tensed up and his breathing became uneasy. Instantly, Albus’ fear of the trial dissipated as he pulled Scorpius in for a hug.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll be here the whole time, just remember that,” he whispered in his ear and he felt Scorpius nod into his neck. They pulled away and Scorpius stood, his father clasped him on the shoulder and sent him a reassuring smile. He made his way out the stands, holding onto Albus’ hand for as long as possible before being forced apart. He noticed how Scorpius instantly started fiddling with his hands – a nervous habit he’d had for as long as Albus had known him. Albus felt his necklace, curious to see how hard the other boys’ heart was beating. It was so fast it would put the Golden Snitch to shame.

It felt like a really long time before Scorpius settled into the witness box. He glanced briefly at Delphi who was wearing a wicked smile before fixing his eyes on the wooden booth. He started picking at what must have been a loose piece of wood, his nails digging into it harshly.

“Please state your name for the record,” Hermione said, her voice sympathetic whilst trying to maintain her Minister professionalism.

“Scorpius Malfoy,” his voice was so quiet that Albus could barely hear it, even with the enhancement charms on the witness box.

“Would you like to recall the events as you remember them, Scorpius? From the beginning.”

“Erm, well,” he swallowed a lump in his throat. Scorpius dove into the events, from the moment Albus had told him of their plan to jumping from the Hogwarts train, to meeting Delphi and all their travels through time. He faltered on his words more than once, paused too frequently and stuttered an irritable amount of times. He was getting incredibly frustrated with himself, picking away harder at the piece of wood, mentally cursing himself for being unable to just speak like a normal person. Albus could almost _feel_ his internal battle. He touched his necklace a few times, and as soon as he did he managed a few sentences without tripping over his words. But, he became stumped when he reached a particular awful part of the story.

“We were on the Quidditch pitch and she- erm- Delphi,” he cleared his throat. “She cast… the- erm,” Albus felt the necklace and could feel his heart beating faster. He’d spoken about the dark world better than he had about this. It was the moment when Delphi cast the Cruciatus Curse on him before taking them to the third trial.

Scorpius looked up to Delphi for the first time, a chill vibrating through his bones. She formed a wicked grin.

“Crucio,” she spat, the grin wide on her face and eyes wild. Scorpius flinched as much as the chair would allow him. She cackled at his reaction. Albus put his hand on the necklace, feeling how fast Scorpius’ heart was pounding and begged him to touch his own to calm himself down, but it looked like he had no intentions of. Delphi’s cackle rattled through the court room, sending shivers down Albus’ spine, and Scorpius’ too by the looks of things. _The necklace,_ Albus urged, almost like he could force the thought into Scorpius’ mind. Being a Legilimens would be really handy right now.

“Awh, poor little Scorpy,” she laughed again, Scorpius’ lips begin to worry. _Why aren’t they silencing her?_ Albus thought. “I should have killed you when I got the chance,” she rolled her eyes at him. Albus saw Scorpius’ chest moving rapidly up and down. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, like she was drawing him in with a bit of dark magic. He stumbled for words, but nothing came out coherently enough to sound like a sentence.

Albus leaned forward in his seat, hoping the sudden movement caught Scorpius’ eye. It didn’t and Albus cursed silently.

“Be quiet,” Hermione scolded, and Delphi cackled again.

“You’re pathetic, Malfoy,” Delphi continued. “I can’t believe you’re actually related to me,” she sounded disappointed. It hadn’t occurred to Albus until that moment that Delphi and Scorpius were related somehow and by the dread that settled on Scorpius’ face, he hadn’t made the connection either.

“Final warning, Delphi,” Hermione spoke again, a harsh tone to her voice. Delphi smiled and held her hands up in surrender. “Please, continue,” Hermione had returned the softness to her voice when she addressed Scorpius again.

“She cast the Cr- Cruciatus Curse on me. She used me as a pawn to get Albus to do what she wanted,” his voice was surprisingly clearer despite the events. Then, Albus saw his hand clutched around the necklace and it made sense, he had called on Albus’ heartbeat for reassurance and comfort. It had been working before, but now they saw the true extent it could work to.

“And what was that?”

“To go back to the third trial and save Cedric, to bring back the world where Voldemort won.”

“And you agreed to go back and help her?” A member of the audience spoke up, coming down from their seat and out onto the clearing which held Scorpius and Delphi. Some people broke out into whispered chatter.

“I don’t believe you’re the one doing to interrogating here, Dawlish,” Hermione interrupted but he waved her off.

“Should we really be trusting of the word of the boy rumoured to be Voldemort’s son? For all we know he could have been helping her,” he addressed the rest of the room, many whom stayed silent despite a few murmured agreements.

“Sir, we never agreed willingly, we were forced,” Scorpius tried to defend himself, but he stuttered over his words and his voice was timid. He looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole. Albus’ heart broke for him. He knew he wouldn’t get the same treatment when up on the stands, yet most people here just stood for an old man bullying a child.

“But, you still went and who knows why-” the rest of his statement was drowned out by the audience, who began shouting things down at the box. Albus couldn’t comprehend most of them but knew some of them were agreeing with the man.

“Dawlish, that’s enough.”

“But he’s got a point though, the Malfoy boy is related to her after all.”

“They’re just kids.”

“Voldemort was just a kid when he started researching dark magic.”

The comments all blurred into one and Scorpius was halfway to a panic attack. Albus stood up, looking at him with pleading eyes for Scorpius to look back, but his head was in his hands. Draco seemed at a loss for words beside him. Delphi was suspiciously silent, a smug look on her face as she watched Scorpius fall apart.

“Everyone, settle down,” Hermione bellowed, using her wand to enhance her voice. The room fell silent. “Dawlish, back in your seat.”

“I’m trying to get answers to the questions you’re not asking,” he protested. Albus had had enough.

“I DIDN’T REALISE HE WAS THE ONE ON TRIAL?” He shouted at the older man, voice strong for once in his life. His sudden outburst caused Scorpius to jump, looking up at him. All eyes settled on Albus, a few murmured agreements around him.

“He’s not,” Hermione assured.

“Then why are you letting him be treated as if he is?” Albus asked, fuming with anger. Not at Hermione, it wasn’t entirely her fault, but she had let it go on for as long as it did.

“Let’s take a recess,” she announced, getting out her seat and pulling Dawlish to one side. Delphi rolled her eyes.

Scorpius jumped from the witness stand, running past everyone and out the hall faster than a flash of light. Albus instantly ran after him, squeezing through the crowd that had begun to disperse for a break. None of them moved easily, which made fighting his way through significantly harder. He did, however, hear the cackle of Delphi’s laugh overs the chatter in the room, and he prayed someone would shut her up.

When he was finally out the room, ignoring the shouts of his name from his parents, Albus searched frantically for a mop of blond hair. He spotted him instantly, drawn to him like an enchantment. He was sat against a wall, knees pulled to his head and his hands running viciously through his hair. Albus ran to him.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he panted as he stopped in front of him, dropping to his knees. “Scor? Hey, look at me please?” Even Albus was shocked at how soft his tone was. Scorpius did as requested, lifting his bright grey eyes from his shoes to look at Albus. Tears had begun streaming down his face, tainting his cheeks with a slight reddish glow, his eyes bloodshot.

“They think I helped her,” he said, voice brittle and weak. “Why would they think that?” Honestly, Albus had no words. None of them knew Scorpius like he did. None of them knew he wasn’t even capable of killing a fly, let alone helping to bring back the Dark Lord. Had none of them listened to the way his voice shook and trembled as he spoke of his time in a world where Voldemort had won? Had no one saw the tears in his eyes and heard the fear in voice? Did no one pick up on his nervous habits: the picking of the wood, the chewing of his lip, the touching of his necklace?

“Listen to me,” Albus said, placing his hands over Scorpius’ cheeks to keep his eyes on his. Albus shuffled forward on his knees, so he was as close to Scorpius as he could be. He saw their parents watching out the corner of his eye and knew how this must look to them, but Scorpius needed the comfort more than anything.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You are not capable of what she’s capable of, okay? You are the kindest person I’ve ever met, you’re sweet and you’re funny and you’re nice. Nice people are not capable of the kind of things they are accusing you of. I know it’s not nice to hear, it must be awful, but for now we should let them think it. People are insanely ignorant to facts once they have the prejudices settled in their head.”

“I am so glad you’re here with me,” he said, voice still timid but slightly stronger. He sniffled away the tears.

“I’ll always be there,” Albus dropped his hands and pulled Scorpius into a hug. Their positions made it incredibly awkward, but neither cared. They held on so tight they thought the other might break, but if they pulled apart then the world would break.

They only broke apart when Draco and Harry approached them, coughing to make them aware of their presence. Albus pulled away but stayed close. The two boys looked at their parents, Scorpius’ cheeks were slightly flushed, as though he’d been caught doing something that he shouldn’t have been.

“Scorpius? Are you okay?” Draco asked, voice stoic as ever with a hint of emotion.

“I’m okay now,” he said, forcing a smile.

“That must have been awful for you, Hermione’s having a word with Dawlish now,” Harry assured but Scorpius shrugged.

“Will I have to go back on the stand?” He asked, and Draco and Harry shared a quick, worried glance.

“I’m afraid so,” Draco answered. “But, I’m sure it’ll just be to finish up your witness statement about what happened in Godric’s Hollow,” Scorpius nodded slowly, his eyes suddenly becoming distant. Albus grabbed his hand to stop his mind spiralling and stood up, pulling Scorpius with him. They never let each other go after, and both their parents glanced between them. Albus couldn’t find it in him to care.

“How are you both coping? With seeing Delphi?” Harry asked.

“Honestly, it sucks,” Albus said, a bite to his tone. There was no way he was going to lie about that. He had made his thoughts on them attending the trial perfectly clear two weeks ago when the news had first been broken. Hermione and Harry came to visit them at Hogwarts and broke the news in an empty classroom. Albus had freaked out, shouting about how it wasn’t fair, that she didn’t deserve a trial and should be rotting in Azkaban anyway. Scorpius had stayed silent the entire time. It wasn’t until after when they were alone in their dorm that Scorpius had spoken for the first time since the meeting, and looked to Albus with a timid voice and said:

_“I’m not ready to see her again.”_

They shared a bed for the first time that night. Albus wasn’t ready either and they had both been having bad nightmares about the various events. That night, Albus had pulled Scorpius down on his bed and wrapped his arms around him following his declaration. Scorpius never protested and allowed himself to be held. They fell asleep like that, wrapped in each other’s arm and when they woke the next day, neither of them spoke about it. They went about their day as normal, slept in separate beds as normal. But every so often one would creep into the bed of the other following a nightmare and wrap themselves around them. It was mostly a reassurance thing, but they both knew they needed each other in a way best friends shouldn’t need each other. And neither of them cared.

“I can’t imagine it being easy,” Harry said and Albus had to fight off the urge to roll his eyes. He wanted to scream at his father. _Of course, it’s not bloody easy, imagine if you had to face Voldemort again!_ But he didn’t. Because he was trying to be a better son. So, he looked at the floor.

“It isn’t,” he mumbled, and Scorpius squeezed his hand.

“We’ll be fine,” Scorpius input, sending his best forced smile in Harry’s direction. That was the thing about Scorpius, he was usually so good as supressing his emotions. He wasn’t doing a good job inside the trial, but that was entirely different territory. But to adults – especially his father – Scorpius could hide his emotions well. Albus guessed it came from years of growing up in an isolated home with Draco Malfoy as a father. Draco was nice enough, and he claimed to Albus on more than one occasion that he was his favourite Potter with a grin on his face, but it was no secret he was a stranger to his emotions. He buried his feelings well, it was only natural for Scorpius to learn this skill too.

However, the difference was that Scorpius could only hide it for so long until it burst out of him like a Patronus. Back in their third year, Scorpius avoided talking about his mum for a long time, buried any emotions he had deep down. Before her death, his mum would appear in nearly every conversation they had, but after he barely spoke of her. It was too painful. So, he repressed and repressed and repressed until one day he exploded. He nearly flooded the common room with out of control magic as his emotions poured out him and Albus had to trudge through three feet of water to hold him until he stopped sobbing. A prefect had been nice enough to clear the mess and never actually bring up the situation again. In fact, no one bought it up ever. It was a story that no one felt the need to share, maybe because it was far too personal.

Albus was quite glad that Scorpius wasn’t entirely repressing this situation now, he dreads to think what would happen if he exploded in a court full of people who despised him through association. Scorpius was quite a powerful wizard, but when his emotions heightened he could no longer control it. It was actually quite scary to be around him. And a court full of prejudice, arrogant arseholes would never forgive him for being out of control. They would probably claim he did it on purpose and Scorpius would be on trial himself somehow. Maybe that was the worst-case scenario, but it was still a possibility.

“We’re ready to go back in,” Ron interrupted, not that there was a conversation going on. Draco quickly pulled Scorpius into a side-hug, the sudden movement pulling Scorpius’ hand from his.

“Are you okay, Scorpius? Honestly?” His father asked and this time it sounded more sincere.

“Yeah, dad, I’m fine,” he replied, looking up at his father. Draco rubbed his shoulder and guided him into the hall, followed by Albus and Harry. They all took their seats, Scorpius back in the witness box as Hermione called for order and addressed Scorpius once again.

Scorpius recalled the events of All Hallows Eve, fiddling with the loose piece of wood with one hand and the other holding the necklace firmly. He stuttered over his words constantly, but he managed to recall the events. His face lit up slightly as he spoke of Albus and his – quote – ‘brilliant plan’ and it looked like under any other circumstances, he would have beamed with pride. Throughout the retelling, Delphi was suspiciously quiet, keeping her thoughts to herself and leaving her responses to stifled nods and incoherent mumbles. Sometimes she’d laugh, but it wasn’t as scary as the cackles she had been emitting earlier.

“Thank you, Scorpius,” Hermione concluded, nodding at him to let him know they were finished. You could see the visible relief on Scorpius’ face. “Albus Potter, you’re next please,” Albus took a deep breath and stood up. His mother and father sent reassuring smiled his way, touching his arm as he passed. On the way to the witness stand, his passed Scorpius who embraced him in a quick hug.

“You’ll be fine, and I’m always there, in here,” he whispered when he pulled away, gesturing to Albus’ necklace and smiled. It was such a comforting smile, such thoughtful words that Albus found him smiling back, genuinely. _It was fine, I’ll get through this,_ he thought.

He made his way down to the witness box and took a seat, instantly noticing the splintered wood that Scorpius had been fiddling with. He made a mental note to check his hands over later to make sure he hadn’t hurt himself. He avoided eyes with Delphi, that is, until she addressed him first before Hermione had the chance to speak.

“Hey, Albie,” she mocked. “Did you miss me?” She asked, grin wide and eyes excited. She sounded like a lovesick teenager and it made Albus sick to the stomach. He looked at her, eyes narrowed and lips forming a thin line. He wondered what he had ever seen in her. Then remembered that pull, the invisible string that attached them. Albus had been glad when that snapped. He stared at her, willing his eyes to say everything that his mouth couldn’t.

“Shut it, Delphi. Albus, please state your name for the record,” Hermione turned to Albus whilst Delphi let out that ear-screeching cackle.

“Albus Severus Potter,” he answered.

“Thank you. Now we’ve heard the events in nearly every way possible, but do you have anything to elaborate on, things that Scorpius may not have been apart of or your general feelings towards the whole thing?”

“His feelings were that he was in love with me,” Delphi spoke for him, her tone high pitched, feigning admiration. “It was quite sweet actually. Teenage boys are so easily to manipulate,” she sent a wink in his direction and rage filled him up.

He had thought he’d be upset about the whole situation like Scorpius was, but really Albus was just angry. He was so angry at her, to the point where he meant every word when he suggested his father should kill her back in Godric’s Hollow. Damn, he would have done it himself if he had the chance. She had manipulated them, had tortured them, had broke their wands and left them stranded in 1981 in a place neither of them had visited before. His blood boiled just thinking about it. She didn’t deserve a trial, she deserved to rot with no chance of freedom.

“It’s true she manipulated me by pretending to be romantically interested in me, which is not only weird but also predatory, she is an adult and I’m a minor after all. Not that anything happened, but she did encourage it,” if Albus was going to take her down, he was going to do it with every means necessary. Delphi Riddle didn’t ever deserve to walk free.

“That’s not true,” Delphi protested, but her words were empty. It was entirely true, and who are the audience going to believe? The son of The Boy Who Lived or Voldemort’s daughter? Albus could take a wild guess.

“Please, Miss Riddle, be quiet,” Hermione begged, seemingly getting tired of hearing her voice. Honestly, Albus was too. Unconsciously, he reached for his necklace, feeling Scorpius’ heart beating faster than his own. He looked to the boy who was sat leaning into his father, Draco had an arm wrapped around him. He was staring at Delphi, chewing the nails on one of his hands whilst the other rested on the necklace. “Albus, please continue.”

So, he did.

Albus went into ever gory detail that he could. He couldn’t quite keep his emotions under wraps like his father did and every now and again he would falter and trip over his words, which would earn him a giggle from Delphi. He tried his best to avoid looking at her. It was when he looked at her that his emotions would falter, and he’d forget his trail of thought due to a shiver sent through his spine.

He kept the detail out when describing Scorpius’ screams when the Cruciatus Curse hit him. It had killed him to remember those screams, the way his body limply dropped to the floor and wriggled in pain. It was the scream that haunted his nightmares and rendered him useless. He could sometimes still hear it when he woke, gasping for air and yelling Scorpius’ name. And he was always there, and he was always okay, but that never stopped the anxiety. Albus feared that would never stop.

He also kept out the details of seeing their classmate fall to his death under Delphi’s command. Neither of them had known Craig Bowker, but they had to endure witnessing his fall and how their house responded to the news. The Slytherin’s were in mourning. Craig was a beloved boy, his heart in all the right places. It was a tragic loss, truly. Both Albus and Scorpius felt insanely guilty. Because of their actions, an innocent boy had to die. It wasn’t something they mentioned a lot, but they both knew how the other felt. It ate them alive.

When he had finally finished his rendition of events, Hermione asked a few follow up questions before dismissing him to his seat. Albus couldn’t have gotten out of there faster. He quickly exited the witness stand and settled himself back in between Scorpius and his parents. The former smiled weakly at him, but it was a smile that said: _I’m proud of you._

Albus was proud of himself, too.

“Okay, let’s take a brief break and we’ll reconvene in ten minutes for the verdict,” Hermione addressed the room and Delphi scoffed.

“Oh, come on! Might as well just sentence me now!” She shouted, the crowd ignoring her as they dispersed. She kept shouting the entire time and Albus was incredibly thankful when the doors shut behind them and her voice was drowned out.

When the crowd had dispersed slightly – the reporters were not allowed anywhere near the boys – Scorpius grabbed Albus and pulled him tightly into a bone-crushing hug. When they finally pulled away, Scorpius beamed at him.

“I am so, so proud of you, you were so amazing in there and…” Scorpius was breathless and lost for words, which was something unusual for him.

“I couldn’t have done without you,” Albus assured, poking Scorpius in the chest which caused the boy to beam bigger, if that was even possible.

“It’s nearly over.”

“It is, we did it.”

“Boys, all good?” Harry interrupted their staring competition, both boys ripping their eyes away from the other to look at Albus’ father who had just approached, Draco following suit.

“Yeah, dad, we’re good,” Albus assured. Harry patted him on the back and Ginny tackled him in a hug when she made her way over.

“We’re proud of you, Albus,” Ginny spoke into his hair and Harry smiled widely.

“Yeah, we are,” he confirmed, and this made Albus smile. His father had never said that to him before.

“Father, what happens if she’s found guilty?” Scorpius asked, causing Albus to pay attention to that conversation rather than the one he was having before. _Hopefully they’ll set the dementors on her,_ he thought, but he knew that was no longer a form of punishment.

“She’ll likely be sentenced to life in Azkaban is all,” Draco replied, patting his son on the shoulder and leaving his hand there. Albus sighed, wishing there was more to it than that. He knew Azkaban was a terrible place – he never, ever planned on visiting – but, he still thought it quite a light punishment considering that Delphi had tried to bring back _The_ Dark Lord of all people.

“Good,” Scorpius replied, his voice back to being small and timid. Albus wondered what had caused him to suddenly shrink into his shell but brushed it off for the time being and placed a hand on his shoulder, sending him a small smile which he returned.

Ten minutes later, they were filing back into the court room. Delphi was still stood there, looking bored and restless. Cameras flashed around them as they entered again, and suddenly Albus remembered that he and Scorpius had been holding hands every time they entered. Albus laughed at the possibility of that making the front page over Delphi’s sentencing – it was a good possibility.

They settled back into their seats, feeling somewhat calmer now than they had before the trial started. Maybe it was because it was coming to an end and the hard part was done. There was no doubt that she wouldn’t be found guilty, but there was something at the back of Albus’ mind that thought perhaps she would be found innocent. It was irrational and stupid, but it was there.

“Delphini Riddle, you were charged with murder on account of the Killing Curse, the use of the Cruciatus Curse, the illegal use of a time turner and treason against the Ministry for attempting to bring Voldemort back from the dead,” Hermione read her charges again, to which Delphi rolled her eyes. “Please stand for the verdict,” the court room obliged.

“You have been found…” Albus held his breath and leaned forward, as did Scorpius. “Guilty on all accounts and are sentenced to life in Azkaban,” Albus let out a long breath, feeling the relief wash over him.

Delphi started screaming, shaking the bars of the cell and for a moment, Albus thought she might get out. Scorpius grabbed hold on his sleeve with both hands, hiding slightly behind him as she went wild in the small vicinity.

“I will get revenge for my father, Harry Potter, I swear on it. And next time I’ll murder those little brats to do it,” she screamed, her voice thick with insanity. Scorpius winced and Albus leaned into him. Their eyes were wide as they watched her thrash about her cell, no doubt hurting herself to some degree. Draco, Harry and Ginny started ushering the boys out the hall quickly, attempting to cover them from the flashing cameras as well as Delphi’s relentless shouting and screaming.

His heart was pounding fast as he left the room, from adrenaline and slight fear. She was going to Azkaban for life, that didn’t mean her threat didn’t hold some weight. People have broken out of Azkaban before, there was no stopping her as well.

“Don’t worry,” Harry said when the doors had closed behind them and Delphi could no longer be heard. Scorpius was gripping onto Albus’ arm so tight he felt like he might lose circulation. “I’ll be taking her to Azkaban myself, there is no way she’ll be able to harm you again,” he assured, stroking Albus’ hair before pulling him into a hug, tearing him away from Scorpius.

Draco had torn Scorpius away from the group slightly, talking to him in low whispers and pulling him in for a hug.

“Did you want to come home for the rest of the weekend?” Harry asked. “We could drop you back off to school on Sunday night.” Albus looked to Scorpius, who – even in his fathers’ arms – still looked like an anxious puppy. Scorpius looked back at him, as though he could tell Albus’ eyes were on him and forced a tight-lipped smile.

“No, that’s okay,” Albus said, looking up at his father before back at Scorpius. “I think we need each other right now,” Albus weren’t sure exactly what he meant by it, but Harry seemed to get what he was getting at.

“I think you might be right,” he agreed, ruffling Albus’ hair which caused a protest from him.

Scorpius and Draco came back over to Harry and Albus, who were later joined by Ginny, Ron and Hermione. Together, they walked back up to Harry’s office, this time with much more conversation than previous. The adults talked over the trial and how well it had gone, whilst Albus and Scorpius mostly stayed quiet, sharing the occasional glance.

Upon arriving at Harry’s office, the boys were tackled in a hug from each of the adults – even Uncle Ron had embraced Scorpius and told him that the people in the court room earlier were prats, which made Scorpius giggle. Their goodbyes were long, and hugs seemed to last forever, but they were worth it.

Eventually, Harry handed Albus some floo powder and one last ruffle of his hair and the two boys stepped into the flames and disappeared in a flash of green. Headmistress McGonagall greeted them on the other side. She informed them it was quite late, and that dinner was already over, however she would walk them to the kitchens and they could tell her about the day.

It was quite nice talking about it. They left out a few details, like how everyone started screaming at Scorpius during his witness statement. She walked them to the kitchens to get some food and sat with them whilst they ate and then walked them to the dungeons. It was passed curfew, and she didn’t want them being caught by the caretaker. She bid them goodnight and Scorpius and Albus entered the common room.

They made their way to the dorm and got ready for bed, it wasn’t all that late. Most people were still down in the common room engaged in deep conversation or heads in their homework, but Scorpius and Albus were drained from the days’ events. After getting ready, they both collapsed down onto Scorpius’ bed.

“Will you stay here tonight?” Scorpius asked. “I know that she’s going to Azkaban or whatever, but I don’t think it’ll be a peaceful night for me,” he seemed so vulnerable that Albus couldn’t say no. Not that he wanted to, he knew the night would be restless for him, too.

“Of course, Scor,” they drew the curtains around the bed and climbed under the covers.

“What a crazy day,” he sighed, moving so he was on his side, facing Albus. Albus faced him, too.

“It’s been wild,” Albus reaffirmed.

“She’s gone though, we did it.”

“I’m proud of you. I should have said it earlier, but better late than never and it’s true. It was hard for you up there and you got through it, I’m really proud,” in the darkness Albus couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw Scorpius blush.

“It was hard for both of us, we both did it,” he smiled at him.

Albus loved that smile. It was the kind where he was irrevocably honest. It was a smile that he meant. It wasn’t one he forced on because that was the right thing to do, or because people were worried and he didn’t want them to be. It was a smile that spoke of proudness and happiness, a smile only meant for a few people and Albus loved that he was one of them. It was a smile that was few and far between and it was so genuine that Albus could smile the same one back.

Delphi was gone, she was doomed to a life in Azkaban. Scorpius and Albus could finally breathe again. The monster that ruined their lives was having her own life ruined. Albus found his anxiety settle when he thought about it. Maybe she could haunt their dreams and nightmares. Maybe she could cause panic attacks and depressive slumbers. Maybe she could show up in boggarts and in the newspaper. Maybe her laugh would never fade, or her wicked grin would never falter in their minds. But the physical threat of her was gone. She could never bother them again because she’d be locked away. They could work on themselves. The nightmares, the anxiety, the fear, the guilt, that could all be solved with some time and a little help from each other. They could start being happy again without a worry.

The monster was gone now, they could smile sometimes.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Kudos and Comments always welcome! Let me know what you think!


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